Saturday, December 21, 2024

Coach Faisal AKYC2024: ready to go!

Alkhaadem Youth Camp “Arrival: The Battle Continues” 22-27th December 2024, Ipoh Malaysia #AKYC2024



Looking forward to work together with the team and fellow coaches for this year's Alkhaadem youth camp!


Alhamdulillah it’s a huge privilege to be a part of the volunteering team for this camp again. 


Since 90s, Alkhaadem Youth Camp has been week-long event where our youth participants (aged 10-18) are brought through obstacles and assignments that will take them through a week of physical challenges, team building activities, classroom modules, thought-provoking assignments, and everything in between.


As a coach, I'm also looking forward to putting my active listening cap, help them get through whatever difficulties in their life. What I've learnt dealing with the 16 year old group in AKYC2023, was that many of these teenage youth face a lot of very real struggles but don't know where or who to turn to without being ridiculed or dismissed. Challenges from friendship conflicts, addiction, low self esteem, identity crisis, abandonment issues from absent parents, mental health struggles.


These aren't pleasant to talk about, and we hope we can play a part - no matter how small - towards providing a positive steer and inspiration in their lives, and at the same time provide practical insight and wisdom to understanding what our children go through how I can do better as a parent.  


Looking forward to it. AKYC2024: Let's GOOOOOO! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

AKYC2024 Alkhaadem youth Camp 2024: Let's Go!

 


Looking forward to work together with the team and fellow coaches for this year's Alkhaadem youth camp!

Beyond the exciting challenges towards  character building and leadership development, I'm particularly excited and passionate about this year's theme - Arrival: The Battle Continues. How we can prepare ourselves for the coming of Dajjal - the Antichrist - towards the end of time as the Major Signs of the Day of Judgment appear.

It's a theme reminding us to step up to confront the brutal facts: The Dajjal - and subsequently, the End of Times - will be coming, whether we like it or not.
Whether we choose to accept or ignore it, it's going to happen. So the most important question we need to ask ourselves is the question that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ asked his companion, and subsequently to you and me:
وَمَاذَا أَعْدَدْتَ لَهَا ‏؟
"what have you prepared for it?" 

this year's camp theme of "Arrival" opens up an opportunity to clarify misconceptions and doubts related to the End of Times which are subject to so much false tales and conspiracies: the Messiah, the Mahdi, the second coming of Jesus, ya'juj and majuj - and how we can take these lessons to apply the deceptions of Dajjal as practical lessons in every daily life, today in the 21st century: how to equip our youth with the maturity to see through the lies around us. How to instill the courage to make the tough decisions to stick to your principles - even though material circumstances are forcing us to making poor decisions out of desparation?
How to put our trust in Allah when situation seems dire and hopeless?

Man, getting goosebumps!




See you there in Ipoh insha Allah - looking forward to meet and collaborate with the awesome team at AKYC2024... Let's gooo! 🔥💪🏽

Saturday, December 14, 2024

(English) 🎙️💡 Tips for Starting a Podcast


Recently, I met up with a group of young, passionate individuals from IIUM (Aziem, Bashir, Izz, Adam Zafir) who aspire to start a podcast discussing current issues and life solutions. They sought advice based on our journey with The Barakah Effect (TBE) podcast, leveraging from our experience over the 90 episodes released since its launch in March 2021. 

Here are the key tips we shared:


1. Sincerity


Set your intention that you are doing this for a higher purpose, and commit to this sincerity! Sincerity fuels the team to stay motivated, committed, and consistent, even if the views, likes or subscriber counts are not high. Sincerity will also help you persevere through criticism and challenges, ensuring your efforts remain steadfast.


2. Planning


Don’t rush into it. Plan thoroughly to maintain consistency. Prepare a backlog of recorded episodes to avoid disruptions when team members get busy. For TBE, we spent seven months preparing before our launch—designing the logo, assigning roles, conducting research, and recording 10 episodes in advance.


You don’t need expensive equipment. Focus on good audio quality and minimize ambient noises. Affordable microphones like Boya are sufficient and readily available at Shopee. 


3. Just Start! 


Avoid over-perfectionism—it can stall progress. Start with what you have, review your work, and continuously improve. Mistakes are part of the learning process, so don’t be afraid to fail and try again.


4. Break the Ice


For guest interviews or panel discussions, have a brief ice-breaking session before recording. Discuss the topic early to ensure everyone is comfortable and prepared. This human touch fosters better communication and connection during the session.


5. Teamwork


Don’t do it alone. Running a podcast requires teamwork and proper delegation. Be patient with team members’ shortcomings, and use this opportunity to develop leadership skills by recognizing strengths, addressing weaknesses, and rotating responsibilities. If things go wrong, don’t give up—learn from mistakes and adapt.


At the end of the discussion, I asked them, “So. Are you ready to start?” 

One of them, Aziem replied, “this is scary, but we’ll try, inshaAllah.” 


I reassured them, “That’s real courage—stepping forward despite fear.”


This is how Allah describes Courage in the Qur'an. When God instructed Moses and Aaron - Musa & Harun - to confront pharaoh, they were scared, too! They felt fear in their hearts - of the terrible violence and brutality this tyrant is capable of! 

But in spite of that, they stood firm, stepped up & went forward anyway.  Now that is bravery. 


"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear" (Nelson Mandela) 


Starting a podcast is a journey of learning, growth, and collaboration. May Allah bless their efforts and gran success. All the best, friends!


🎙️💡 Tips Memulakan Podcast

 



Alhamdulillah rezeki dapat berjumpa dengan saudara2 kita dari UIA / IIUM - saudara Aziem, Bashir, Izz, Adam dan Zafir - yang berhasrat utk memulakan Podcast yang membincangkan hal ehwal semasa dan mencari solusi permasalahan harian dalam kehidupan seharian kita.

Sahabat2 muda ini berjumpa dengan hasrat memohon tips dan nasihat, memetik daripada pengalaman kami di The Barakah Effect (TBE) , selepas 90 episod semenjak pelancaran podcast kami pada Mac 2021.

Antara tips yang dikongsikan dan dibincang kan

1. Ikhlas - pastikan niat kita buat podcast ni ikhlas semata-mata mencari keredhaan Allah. Adakan vision and uluwul himmah (aspirasi tinggi) untuk jemaah dan sentiasa ingatkan sesama sendiri , agar ahli sentiasa bersemangat utk beri yang terbaik (ihsan), tidak berkira atau banyak songeh dalam menyumbang. Dengan ikhlas, kita dapat bina ketabahan menghadapi dugaan: tidak mudah sentap atau putus asa tatkala Terima kritikan atau berhadapan dgn ahli yang tidak bekerjasama.

Dan kunci ikhlas; jangan mudah patah semangat kalau tak banyak views, shares, likes atau followers. Kalaulah kita betul2 ikhlas, usaha ihsan kita tetap konsisten, tak kira 10 atau 10,000 followers!

2. Planning - jgn tergesa-gesa.. Kita tak nak jadi kes hangat2 taik ayam, blast 1-2 episod kemudian terbengkalai. Buat perancangan dengan baik sebelum release, agar mudah istiqamah: line up tugasan, sediakan "stock" rakaman lebih, agar ada momentum yang baik dan tidak terbengkalai bila ahli podcast mula sibuk.

Kami di TBE mula buat persiapan pada Ogos 2020 - 7 bulan sebelum perasmian - untuk merancang logo, agihan tugas, research, dan dah siap record 10 episod sebelum launch. Tinggal nak edit & release je.
Untuk equipment, tk perlu invest barang mahal2. Dalam podcast, yang  penting adalah audio. Kalau video quality sempoi2 pakai phone murah pun takpe - janji suara jelas dan minimize gangguan persekitaran. Invest beli microphone. Zaman skarang microphone mcm brand Boya pun dah cukup baik, dan murah je kat shopee.

3. "Just do it" ✔️ - Ya, lakukan dgn ihsan, tapi pada masa yang sama, tak payah perfectionist sangat - kalau tak, kerja tak Jalan, Bang! Buat je dulu.. Proses taking action yang akan mantapkan kemahiran.
Lepas buat, Review balik, cari ruangan penambahbaikan. Kalau tak puas hati, just buang, move on and buat balik. It's okay utk buat kesilapan atau kekurangan.

4. Icebreaking 🫠 - kalau buat guest interview atau ahli panel, buat sedikit sesi taaruf sebelum sesi podcast. Kenalpasti dan bincangkan Tajuk awal2, agar Mudahkan bagi mereka buat persiapan, di sampling kita add "human touch" dalam hubungan: Buka ruangan mereka  berkenalan dgn kita, selesa utk bercakap dan berkongsi dengan kita.

5. Buat berjemaah - jangan buat sorang2. Nak maintain podcast ni perlukan banyak usaha, dan perlukan pengagihan tugas yang baik. Dan dalam Bab ini, kita perlu bersabar. Lapangkan dada utk terima kritikan membina, Jangan mudah sentap, janganlah cepat nak left group atau berputus asa dengan sahabat2 yang kurang menyumbang atau kerjasama.

It's a fact: Tak mudah nak kerja dengan orang.. Sebab tu Rasulullah ﷺ bagi special fadhilat, "seorang Muslim yang bergaul dengan orang lain, dan bersabar atas gangguan mereka, adalah lebih baik daripada seorang Muslim yang tidak bergaul (dalam masyarakat) dengan orang lain dan tidak bersabar atas gangguan mereka.” (HR At-Tirmidzi 2507)

Gunakan platform ini juga untuk Develop leadership skill anda: kenal kelebihan, kebolehan dan kekurangan masing2 - dan kenal pasti ni cuba try test peranan lain2. Mungkin anda ada bakat dalam skill2 yang tak sangka anda boleh buat!
Skali skala kita akan kantoi atau terbabas.. Biasa la tu. Belajar dari kesilapan, cuba lagi cara lain. Learn to fail fast, and move on.

Pada hujung Perbincangan, saya bertanya kepada mereka, "amacam? Apa perasaan? Makin yakin?"

Saudara Aziem jawab, "takut juga ni bang. Tapi kita cuba, insha Allah"

Saya jawab, "takut, tapi cuba. Itulah keberanian sebenar yang Allah gambarkan dalam Qur'an.

Nabi Musa dan Harun, ketika bertemu dengan firaun, mereka juga takut! Tapi mereka tetap Teguh, berdepan dan menegur firaun sang kuku besi.

Dalam surah Al-Ahzab, Allah gambarkan beza orang Munafiq dan Mukmin Ketika Madinah dierang tentera Al-Ahzab - 10,000 datang bertubi-tubi. Penduduk Madinah ketakutan sehingga jantung mereka di kerongkong mereka, mata berpinar, dan mula ada sangkaan buruk terhadap Allah (33:9-11)! 

Bezanya?

Geng munafiq - puak2 hipokrit - mereka cabut. Chicken out 🐔.  Macam2 alasan dan banyak songeh (33:12-13).
Tapi mukmin - orang beriman - walaupun mereka takut, iman mereka tercabar dan bergoncang - depa steady. Mereka ingat matlamat mereka di dunya, ganjaran Allah bagi mereka yang berjihad di jalan-Nya: mereka teguh, melangkah ke hadapan, dan melaungkan:

"inilah yang dijanjikan Allah dan Rasul-Nya. Benarlah Allah dan Rasul-Nya!" dan keadaan gentar ini hanyalah menguatkan iman mereka dan penyerahan diri kepada Allah (33:22).

Ini lah keberanian: Takut. Tapi step up.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear" (Nelson Mandela) 

All the best, sahabat2! Semoga Allah kurniakan success and keberkatan dalam segala usaha dan hasil podcast anda.

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

A Podcast Conversation with Dr. Anwar Sahib

 



A conversation with Sheikh @dranwarsahib, Dean of Arabic Language and Islamic Studies at @international_open_university and imam of @masjidattaqwa_nz, Auckland NZ together with brother Umairun from @iou_malaysia and Ustadz Suffian of @jayyidquranacademy at his center at Jayyid Qur'an Academy, Oasis Ara Damansara.


Look forward to our conversation with our youthful Sheikh Anwar where he shares his experience furthering studies at University of Madinah at the age of 14 (and staying there for a whole 19 years until completion of his PhD!), the key role of his father in his life (and what us dads can take inspiration from) , and his advice on parenting and seeking knowledge in this world of distractions and "too many choices" 

Wednesday, December 04, 2024

🌟 Appreciation Speech Papa's Company - KL Prima Consult Gala Dinner & Family Day 2024: Resorts World Awana, Genting




Alhamdulillah, it was truly an honor and blessing to say a few words of appreciation on behalf and a tribute to my father, Datuk Dr. Ir. Hj. Abdul Latif Mohd Som, Executive Chairman and Co-founder of KL Prima Consult Sdn Bhd. 

 


After all these years, this was actually the first time I got to attend his company event, being away from the family while we were residing in Miri for 16 years. 


It was a sight to behold, to witness this large gathering of staff with their families. As my father recapped in his speech, the company has come a long way from their humble beginnings in 1996 with only 17 staff with their Civil engineering roots in Buildings and highways, expanding to over 90 staff, diversifying their portfolio into rail and transit projects. 


It's always inspiring witnessing this in hindsight, thnking back of his humble origins...


Papa was raised in a kampung, Kota Lama Kanan in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. His father passed away when he was only 7 years old, and his mother - my grandmother, Pah, may Allah have mercy on her - would go around house to house to teach children to recite Quran to make ends meet. 


To go to school, every day he would need to take the bicycle, take a boat acros the river, and lot more walking. It would take him a solid hour of effort just to arrive school. And back then in those days, in the '60s, with our country only recently achieving independence there was no environment or "success story" of local Malaysians becoming professionals. The highest post people would aspire to is a clerk for the government district office. 


Who knows what was the significance of "good education", and what was even possible? 



And as I sat throughout the dinner event, it dawned on me: If one were to live back then in the ‘60s, who would have thought, that this little ambitious boy from the kampung would now be standing here, fifty years later, giving a speech as Executive Chairman for his company’s Gala Dinner, celebrating 28 years of achievements? 


Observing their family day gatherings every year, my mother once made a remark: it’s amazing to see these staff bring their families every year, and we get to witness them growing up. They used to be little kids running around, now they're all grown up... some of them are parents!


I took the opportunity in the speech to remind myself and the rest, events like this should remind us to be grateful to Allah for the favours and blessings: How, Allah provides jobs for these families through this company. 


The company went through some turbulent times, especially during the COVID19 pandemic, when, like many other industries, all projects grinded to a halt.


The situation was so dire that the directors had to fork out money from their own personal savings to keep the company afloat, while retaining all of the employees. My dad remarked, in hindsight, “not only did we not get paid, WE had to pay”. And it was no small amount (angka dirahsiakan 😊). Not a single staff was retrenchend. 


For us to truly appreciate this move, we need to put ourselves in their shoes and understand the context that they did this. Back in those pandemic days, nobody knew how things were going to turn out. When - or even IF - the pandemic was going to end? How was the economy going to be like, after the pandemic? Is it even worth keeping them here? 

There was no guarantee of ‘greater returns’ or big projects to come.. They just took a calculated risk, strengthen their business development to diversify their portfolio into rail, and tawakkal, put their trust in Allah. 


And Alhamdulillah, it was a good call. Not only did they make it through those hard times, but have now come out strong with a new niche and sought-after area of expertise. 


The heart of every long term success is a strong team. Special props to Ir. Narizal Nosri - head of Civil Department - who has been with the company since 1997: a whopping 27 years of service, staying loyally all the way. 


And highest appreciation goes Executive Director, Ir. Dr. Salehin Salleh - who co-founded the company with Papa. Out of the other 3 shareholders who co-founded the company, he is the only one left, steadily running the operations. 



May Allah continue to put barakah and success in dunya and akhirah for my father and all of his team at KLPC. Kita akhiri dengan ucapan Alhamdulillah dan serangkap Pantun, courtesy of tuan Husaini...


Sejarah diukir 28 tahun,  

Berdedikasi semangat membara,

KL Prima terus membangun,  

Tulus berkhidmat untuk negara.  

 

86 projek angkanya besar,  

Projek diurus dengan cemerlang, 

Inovasi baru terus disasar 

Agar generasi kekal gemilang.